Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
04/05/2023 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB148 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 148 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 139 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 5, 2023
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jamie Allard, Co-Chair
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Co-Chair
Representative Mike Prax
Representative CJ McCormick
Representative Tom McKay
Representative Rebecca Himschoot
Representative Andi Story
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 148
"An Act relating to the Alaska performance scholarship program."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 139
"An Act relating to funding for correspondence study programs."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 148
SHORT TITLE: AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY
SPONSOR(s): EDUCATION
03/29/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/29/23 (H) EDC, FIN
04/03/23 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/03/23 (H) Heard & Held
04/03/23 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
04/05/23 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
PAUL LAYER, Vice President of Academics, Students, and Research
Academic and Student Affairs
University of Alaska system
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 148.
MAISIE ZUGG, Student
University of Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the hearing on HB 148.
AMY BRISTOR, Admissions
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 148.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:39 AM
CO-CHAIR JUSTIN RUFFRIDGE called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Representatives Prax,
McCormick, McKay, Himschoot, Allard, and Ruffridge were present
at the call to order. Representative Story arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
HB 148-AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY
8:01:24 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the only order of business
would be public testimony on HOUSE BILL NO. 148, "An Act
relating to the Alaska performance scholarship program."
8:01:49 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony on HB 148.
8:02:25 AM
PAUL LAYER, Vice President of Academics, Students, and Research,
Academic and Student Affairs, University of Alaska system,
testified in support of HB 148. He explained that the proposed
legislation would provide significant changes to make the Alaska
Performance Scholarship (APS) program more accessible to
students, and more competitive. He highlighted the notification
timeline, which changes from six months to 18 months in the
bill. This timing allows for competitiveness with outside
institutions, he said. He noted the change to testing barriers,
explaining that standardized testing was used by the university
for placement, not admission. Increasing the amount of the APS
would also allow for financial packages to be created for
students to reduce or eliminate the burden of debt.
8:05:21 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD asked whether a student who applied for a
scholarship would be required to take a placement test to avoid
being put into classes above his/her level and possibly losing
the scholarship as a result.
MR. LAYER replied that for all students coming in there are
multiple placement tools that are used, including the
standardized test and the university's own internal test called
Accuplacer to assure students are placed in the appropriate
programs.
8:08:29 AM
MAISIE ZUGG, Student, University of Alaska, testified during the
hearing on HB 148, and gave her background in academics in
Alaska. She stated she would like the APS to be looked at for
"a better eligibility of usage."
8:12:15 AM
AMY BRISTOR, Admissions, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF),
testified in support of HB 148. She stated she had witnessed
the inception of the APS, and the tremendous amount of
opportunities it had awarded many students. She opined that the
APS had flaws that the bill would help improve. She gave an
example of a successful student with a high grade point average
(GPA) who did not do well on tests, and believed it was that
type of student the bill would help.
8:16:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Ms. Bristor at what point she started
advising students about the APS.
MS. BRISTOR indicated that she had talked to students of all
ages about the APS, and encouraged them to pay attention to the
scholarship requirements and their GPA.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether there was any kind of
notification that high schools or colleges use to remind
students to start thinking about the APS.
MS. BRISTOR replied the communications are mostly via email,
typically in a student's junior year. In some cases, she said,
a high school guidance counselor would begin communications.
8:19:01 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD discussed a possible amendment that would notify
students [about the APS] potentially at the end of freshmen year
or beginning of sophomore year. She asked Ms. Bristor whether
this would help.
MS. BRISTOR said she was unfamiliar with the amendment, but it
sounded like a notification requirement. She said she believed
all communications to students and families would help to get
the word out.
8:20:28 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE relayed that due to technical issues with the
phone lines, public testimony on HB 148 would remain open. [He
announced that HB 148 was held over.]
8:21:48 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:22 a.m.